Shootin' the Puck

We will discuss all things hockey. While this will be Pens-centric, the rest of the league is still of interest to us. We are in no way, shape, or form affiliated with, endorsed by, or cared about, by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the NHL, or anyone else worth their salt.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Yes, the first post in a looooong time. So this has pretty much joined the "hey, I started a blog" graveyard...life happens. But I saw some rubbish that simply needed addressed in full. This post, written by Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, is stunning. Mostly because he sounds like a fanboy and a biased blogger, not a supposedly (and to my own occasional reading) solid hockey columnist with a good reputation.

One thing that is both good and bad about major daily papers having blogs is the fact that the editorial/thought filter process is sometimes not evident. Good in that we get pure thoughts at times, bad when those that are supposed to be "professional" makes themselves look just silly. It really makes you question what the difference between a dedicated, yet non-objective blogger and a sports journalist is? In some cases, an editor, built-in platform, and consistent check, apparently.

In this piece, Dater calls out all fans (himself included) that are from other cities for cheering on their favorite teams; Essentially calling these people "dorks". His biggest failure here is the failure to acknowledge that sports fandom, and especially fandom among dislocated fans away from the "home town", serves a much bigger purpose than simply going to a game to cheer.

Follow me on this...we are segueing to academic research mode. (i.e., Wann's Team Identification - Social Psychological Health Model). In this model, that has endured multiple examinations in peer-reviewed academic journals, Wann and colleagues state the following in an article in the Journal of Sport Behavior last year:

“Temporary social connections occur when a fan who does not reside in a community with enduring connections temporarily finds him or herself in the company of other fans of the team (e.g., a Chicago Cubs fan living in St. Louis who frequently watches Cubs games on television with several other Cubs fans). The increased social connections are then expected to increase social psychological well-being at either the state (temporary connections) or trait (enduring connections) level.”

So to clarify, attending a sporting event involving your favorite team in another city clearly leads to temporary and may sometimes lead to permanent social bonds (as you are spending time with others that share some common bond; this is how relationships form people!).

So then, according to Adrian Dater's logic process here, everyone that (1) wants to cheer on their favorite team (or celebrate some type of self-identity), (2) had the gall to move from home, and (3) wants to socially connect with others they have something in common with is a dork? Using this logic, anyone who has moved in their lives and has gone to a church to meet others that share a faith are "dorks" and/or "foolish" (among the hundreds of examples I could give here).

To once again quote the previously mentioned Wann et al. article:

"The model also postulates that threats to social identity (e.g., poor team performance and player arrests) and subsequent strategic coping mechanisms (e.g., biased attributions) moderate the relationship between social connections and well-being."

In other words, Adrian Dater has used the same exact coping mechanism for a loss that a fan would. The only thing is that fan isn't being paid to be objective as possible.

There is nothing wrong with having a social identity and celebrating it with others. As one of these "dislocated fans", I can definitely tell you that in St. Louis a few years back (I live 3 hrs away), my wife and I would have probably talked to complete strangers if we had encountered a group of other people wearing Penguins jerseys/apparel. (NOTE: I must say I would have avoided anyone waving a f-ing terrible towel or in a Steeler jersey at a Pens game). That opportunity didn't present itself. Oh, and by the way, the Pens lost that game 1-0. I am hoping that I will have this opportunity in St.L or Nashville (even closer) sometime soon. Because if I do, this college professor and published sport fandom researcher will definitely be engaging in some dorky, foolish behavior.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

-James Neal scored 4 goals during this stretch. While they all were not highlight reel goals, he is doing a great job of getting the puck at the net and not overthinking it. His "garbage" goals seem to come with Malkin out of the lineup, but that is exactly what the Penguins need when he is out of the lineup.

-Evgeni Malkin played against the Washington Capitals, adding two assists. From what has been described, he is experiencing some pain from scar tissue in his surgically repaired knee. Some were amazed that he was able to play through that, but his heartfelt concern and sympathy for the victims of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash carried him through it. He was not going to miss the night where the focus was on that tragedy's victims and families.

-Arron Asham brought the early part of the season to life with his devastating knockout of Jay Beagle in the Capitals game. As he skated away he made a few gestures which he later described as "classless". The opponents of fighting in hockey have used this a chance to whine about children watching the game having to see such a thing, the fact that it was a "headshot", and anything else possible to compare hockey to Roman gladiators.

Respectfully, I tell these people to watch another sport. Please leave our sport alone. Seriously. If you are concerned about someone getting knocked out by a non-cheap shot then go watch a safe, civil sport like football where there is not any violence and the players are all upstanding citizens.

Fighting has a place in hockey, and hopefully it always will. Asham did not sucker punch Beagle. Until he was knocked out, Asham did not do anything wrong. He was standing up for his teammate, Kris Letang. The offer was put out for a fight and both parties willingly particpated. Beagle does not deserve any ridicule for his part in it, anyone can get tagged with a shot like that. Asham was sincere in his regret over mocking a fallen combatant. That is where it should end. Sometimes people make mistakes in judgment. Most of the people that are critical of Asham fail to mention how when he saw that Beagle was dropping to the ice he stopped from throwing a third right that undoubtedly would have done more damage.

The "holier than thou" attitude of commentators and members of the Capitals, especially Alexander Ovechkin, is what is uncalled for. Hockey has an always been a sport of honor. There have been countless acts that give the sport a bad image when it goes outside of that honor, but this incident was not one of them. Perhaps the WNBA is more your style if you can't handle some good old fashioned agression.

-Richard Park scored his 1st goal in the home opener against the Panthers, a shorthnaded goal. Oddly enough, in his first home opener for the Pens (Park played here to start his career) he had a shorthanded goal.

-Pascal Dupuis scored his 1st goal of the season against the Panthers. While not showing up in the goal column, he was played well.

-Same thing for Chris Kunitz, who still does not have a goal but has added a 2 year contract extension. His cap hit does not change, so you have to like this deal for both the player and team.

Defensemen:

-Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek looked uncharacteristically bad against the Panthers. Too much flopping and allowing the puck by or behind them.

-Still no word on when Brooks Orpik will return to the lineup. While there's no reason to rush him, you do worry that he may struggle to return to his usual self.

Goalies:

-Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves against the Panters and 25 against the Sabres. He missed the Capitals game because of the flu and most likely was still bothered by it on some level against the Sabres. He did not have any noticable gaffes in goal. There was a save he made prior to the Gerbe goal that was very nice, but his momentum took him out of position for the follow up. Nothing he could do about that. At the end of the Florida game, with a 2 goal lead, he resumed his quest for a goal with the Panthers net vactated. Deryk Engelland got in the way so the puck was quickly turned over, but MAF made a nice save on the shot.

-Brent Johnson did not look particularly sharp against the Caps. He made 16 saves

Ups:

-Matt Cooke continues to keep himself out of trouble on the ice. He also knocked in his 3rd goal of the season. Cooke appears to be well aware of keeping his elbows down and when to let up on a guy (as he's turning near the boards or too close to the boards). Hopefully he is able to continue this.

-Penguins achieved 3 of a possible 6 points during this stretch. If you checked in on this blog at all last year, you know that I will always tout that as a success. Getting 1 point a game in your tough stretches is much better than getting none.

Downs:

-The PP failed at the end of the Sabres game in situational hockey. I beleive in winning situations much more than straight percentages. The Pens had a chance to tie with a PP and a faceoff in the Sabres zone with 21 seconds left. Jordan Staal lost the faceoff, then the puck was cleared and that was that for their chance to salvage a point.

-Many outlets are critical of the play of Mark Letestu, pointing out there when Malkin has been out, he starts on the top line. By the end of the game he is playing with the 4th liners, which is an indication that Dan Bylsma and Tony Granato are not seeing what they want from the 2nd year player.

Florida

Jose Theodore (AP)

-Marcel Goc and Tomas Fleischmann both scored their 1st goals of the season.

-Jose Theodore made 25 saves.

Washington

Alexander Ovechkin (AP)

-Alexander Ovechkin scored his 1st goal of the season. Recently he was called out by Coach Bruce Boudreau for his slow start to the season.

-Dennis Wideman scored the GWG on the PP in OT for the Caps. It was his 2nd of the season.

-Tomas Vokoun had a tough to start to the season, but this game settled him in to a groove it seems. He stopped 39 shots.

-Mike Knuble scored his 1st goal of the season. Without checking I blelieve this is at least the 7th straight game against the Penguins that he has scored a goal. Luckily, the 39 year old won't have too many more years left in the league to haunt us.

Buffalo

Jhonas Enroth (AP)﻿

-Drew Stafford had a very nice shot for his 3rd goal of the season.

-Nathan Gerbe had a goal (1) and a very nice assist on the Stafford goal.

-Jhonas Enroth got the start in place of Ryan Miller, who usually has a tough go in Pittsburgh. Enroth made 29 saves.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

-For all the fury directed at Matt Cooke at the end of last season and in this offseason (by myself too), he avoided any incidents and was a positive contributor to the team. Against the Canucks he lead the way with a PPG and a SHG.

-Evgeni Malkin looked very strong in the legs against Vancouver, even if he was "trying too hard" as everyone seems to say. In that game, he scored the shootout winning goal. Bad penalties seems to be an early theme for him, including a really bad elbowing penalty against Calgary. He also got a bit fiesty with Curtis Glencross, dropping the gloves, landing a few shots, and having his untied jersey pulled over his head. Al this happened with a linesman jumping in between them very quickly so instead of him being kicked out for the failure to tie his jersey down, he was only assessed a roughing minor. He did not play the third period of that game or against Edmonton, seeming to having some type of leg injury. Coach Bylsma said that this is not realted to the surgery he had (that doesn't mean it isn't a knee though), and the general opinion is that it will not be a long term injury. The Tribune Review's Dejan Kovacevic indicated that he was told the injury could be traced to a slew-foot incident with Curtis Glencross. In between all of that, Malkin also had a PPG.

-James Neal looked great against the Canucks, though there was one instance where he had the puck at the back of the slot and chose to pass it.

-Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis have been playing well, but so far do not have a goal to show for it.

-Mark Letestu has not looked particularly inspired. I am not really feeling his game, but the coaches seem to love him. I thought Richard Park could get in at his expense, but it did not really play out that way since Malkin and Arron Asham were scratched against Edmonton.

-New brawler Steve MacIntyre suited up against his old team, the Oilers.

Defensemen:

-Cannot say enough positive things about the play of fan favorite/dreamboat Kris Letang. Against the Oilers he logged nearly 30 minutes on ice! He is currently leading the team in points and has been everything you hope he can consistently be. The challenge for Tang will be lasting in to the 2nd half of the season at such a high level.

-Let's give credit to the end of last season's frequent whipping-boy, Matt Niskanen. He played a really good game against the Flames and knocked in a PPG. There was also a goal scored with him and Ben Lovejoy taking the guys without the puck in that game. It was the right move. They left the guy with the puck (Alex Tanguay) for Marc-Andre Fleury. He made a great shot-pass that Rene Borque directed in to the net. While Niskanen and Lovejoy did not execute, the choice was right.

-Ben Lovejoy looked pretty good when he was matched up against Taylor Hall one on one. He had a really nice hit on him as well.

-Brooks Orpik has not played yet this season since he is still recovering from off-season abdominal surgery.

Goalies:

-Hate to start it before the team has lost in regulation, but Marc-Andre Fleury gave up two flub goals against Vancouver and Calgary. In the end, it didn't cost the team so this is not a call for him to be benched or traded or anything crazy like that. But the fact remains that the team probably would have had a lot less to worry about if these two softies were not let in.

-Brent Johnson played 55 superb minutes against Edmonton. The youthful Oilers managed to knock one by Johnnie to take it to OT. BJ probably deserved a better fate in this game, but them's the breaks as they say.

Ups:

-You have to be excited about getting the Western Canada trip out of the way early, but especially when it produces 5 points.

-The team looks like it did not miss a beat with their forecheck and forward activity. Great pressue on the puck and excellent cycling from multiple guys.

Downs:

-Overall, an area of concern going forward will be the team's play with leads. They lead in each of these 3 games. Getting 5 out of 6 points shows that they were able to pull 2 of the 3 games out, but each of these games were closer than they needed to be. Each game saw the opponent mount some type of comeback spurred by 3rd period goal.

-I really would like to spend less time this season harping on the Power Play. Really. After two great games though, the PP failed big time when it counted against the Oilers. They had a 5 minute major to work with under 5 minutes left in the third. Even if the PP is clicking at a 75% rate, if they can't score a goal when it's really needed then the Penguins will be a worse team because of it. Situational hockey is what's important, not the overall numbers. With any luck, the team will be closer to the first two games.

-There were definitely some defensive lapses here and there, especially noticable during the Canuck game (Keith Ballard goal especially). Don't take that to mean that its on the defensemen, depending on who is responsible for certain players it could also be forwards. That kind of thing should get worked out as the season moves along though.

Vancouver Canucks

Photo: Roberto Luongo (AP)﻿

-Roberto Luongo did not have a particularly good game, letting in some shaky goals That certainly is not what he or the Canucks fans wanted. You almost have to feel bad for him at this point...almost.

-﻿Daniel Sedin scored his 1st goal of the season, a pretty nice one too.

-Henrik Sedin had 2 assists.

Calgary Flames

Photo: Jarome Iginla (AP)﻿

-Curtis Glencross had a goal and an altercation with Evgeni Malkin.

-Olli Jokinen scored a goal courtesy of a Marc-Andre Fleury whiff on a puck behind the net.

-Miikka Kiprusoff had 32 saves for the Flames.﻿

Edmonton Oilers

Photo: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (AP)﻿

﻿-Ladislav Smid seemed to be everywhere for the Oilers in the defensive zone. He took a beating to the lower legs and knees on his blocks. Credit to him for having the deciation to do that in October.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Welcome back my friends to the blog that never ends (except for the summer). It was an awful offseason for the hockey family. We lost Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien, Wade Belak, and the entire team and staff of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv from the KHL. I dedicate this innaugural post of the 2011-2012 season to each of their memories. Hockey has often been an escape for me, and I'm sure many other people feel that way as well. Each of those gone will be remembered for the memories they created on the ice. My sincerest condolences to those closest to these deaths.

With that said, we move forward to what will hopefully be another great season on the ice. Last season did not end anywhere close to how Pens fans would have liked, but that did not make the playoffs any less incredible. The action was intense from the start of the playoffs until the last fire was extinguished in Vancouver. After the smoke cleared (literally), the Boston Bruins and former Penguin Mark Recchi were the Stanley Cup Champions.

Locally, the season was filled with incredible highs with the opening of the Consol Energy Center and a Winter Classic that all the rain in the world couldn't dampen. Unfortunately, shortly after the Winter Classic we got a big dose of lows with injuries to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and just about anyone else that could wear a Pens sweater and skate backwards.

If you know what a hockey puck is, chances are you know about the Sid saga...I won't be recapping that here. All you need to know if that the team is back and looking good and Sid will be at some point as well. I decided against doing team previews this year because there are plenty of great ones out there (go to Puck Daddy or The Pensblog for example) and I am too excited for the puck to drop to comb over the offseason.

We'll cover the minute details here from here on out, so if you keep coming back there will be more content than a season preview every could give you.

The Penguins start the season in Vancouver Thursday, October 6th. My personal excitement level is immeasurable and I just have one question for you...

I will be attempting to Tweet during most Penguins games. You can check that out @shootinthepuck but there MAY be some strong language.

Special thanks to Shaquille O'Neal for being awesome enough to be Shaq. Even though this is a hockey blog, he will be missed beyond words (he retired if you do not follow basketball).

*"Preview" should not be not taken literally. The term is used only to avoid litigation from the hockey bloggers guild.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Head over to Bleacher Report for my take on the official statement on Sidney Crosby's concussion progress. If you still check this blog, stay tuned. Starting in September, we will ramp it back up again for my mildly popular brand of Penguins analysis. Try to contain yourselves...

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Today's sports fan is afforded a mind-boggling array of information and tools to get news, stats, and deliver their opinion (like this blog!). With broadband internet and specialized channels, like NHL Network, hockey die-hards can devote more attention to the game we love. Its great most of the time, but this instant access also brings expectations of rapid gratification. Fans always want the player, coach, or prospect that may push them to the next level (whether it be just being respectable to competing/winning a tittle annually). Right now, the Pens are in the latter category. We feel (rightfully so) that we should win it all or be in the mix annually. Every year, free agency comes along and all have our eyes on the player(s) that will push us over into another level.

Just like about 99% of Pens fans, I would consider losing out on Jagr the way we did to be upsetting, disguising, etc. If you were to go back to last evening and lets hypothetically say you met some time traveling person (?) that said to you "I went a day into the future and Jagr fucked the Pens and signed with PHILLY! Knowing this information, would you still want him on the Pens team this season?" My response, without hesitation, is yes. Although he is slowing down, Jagr is still a first-ballot hall-of-fame legend. Yes, he is a petulant mercenary prick. Yes, he would be a pain in the ass. But the facts are (1) its all about winning, and (2) do you really think a cup-champion locker room is going to be intimated by a fading legend? I say no. But this talk is all mental masturbation anyhow. Hes gone, along with any hope of repairing his hockey legacy in Pittsburgh. I know I'll still tell tales of Jagr's sub-human feats to newer generations of Pens fans (the torn groin epic Game 6 vs NJ, the game I saw him score a natural hat trick in the first 8 minutes of the game) along with the other side (which we got a good slice of today). He's not "dead to me"...he's just a bad human being that is an excellent hockey player.

So what is the expectation now that we lost out on Jagr? That Ray Shero goes out and makes some type of big splash and gets a big name in free agency. Similar to how the jolted lover goes and gets laid to "rebound". But what I am learning is that this is not the Penguins style...from ownership down to the players. There is no panic, there is no compromising the plan. Now, I realize this sounds hokey..."the plan". All teams have a plan, right? Yes. However, actually carrying on and seeing that plan through is harder said than done. Stop and think for a bit. Think about the franchises that are a success every single year (save for a bad season or two here and there). The Steelers, The Red Wings, The Packers (off the top of my head). These teams generally operate their entire organization, top to bottom, in a way that simply breeds success. They carry on the plan. Its why the Steelers always seem to pull star LB's out of nowhere, its why the Wings find project players and develop them into the Henrik Zetterberg's of the NHL. They are smart enough to know who the cornerstones are and realize those players make those around them better. How many average defenseman has Lidstrom helped mold into good ones?

This is what the Penguins seem to be after. So we lost out on Jagr? What does the organization do? Goes out and signs Steve Sullivan to a fair deal. The Pens didn't go up against the cap overpaying for potentially good players that would probably underachieve. They went out and got a player that fits our system. Is he an injury risk? Big time. Can he still score goals? We'll see...I think he has a better chance to do that with Sid or Geno than David Legwand, don't you? They went out and got a winner in every sense of the word. You have to be a winner to be 5'9 and be a good NHL player. You have to be a winner to overcome major back issues and win the Masterson Trophy for perseverance and commitment to the sport. Winners WIN CUPS. Sullivan doesn't have his yet. Don't you think he'd skate through a brick wall to get it this spring, if his body allows it? In short, we got a Penguin. A guy that fits.

Also, Shero left the Pens with wiggle room to bring someone on board during the season or at the trade deadline should we have a rash of injuries, or the worst case scenario, Sid is not okay. Its inevitable that some team that needed its instant gratification for its fans and its owners will not do well. This team will then look to shed that error to a contender....enter Ray Shero.

I'm proud the Pens are following the plan. If you aren't...perhaps consider when Eddie O. was basically letting the team play shinny and Craig Patrick was doing nothing about it. That organization would have offered some of those ridiculous contracts you saw today. Stick. With. The. Plan.